Oh hi there!

Standup For Journalism is a comedy performance programme for journalists to get them ready to take the stage.

It’s been designed by journalist and communications innovator Kirsty Styles to see whether journalists making people laugh with them can help people understand more about their work.

We know journalism has an image problem, described not-even-ironically by outgoing editor of the Daily Mail Paul Dacre in 2018, exemplified by the fact that they are trusted less than estate agents.

While the public might not trust journalists, people certainly love comedy. It was the top podcast genre in 2018, standup is booming on Netflix and top comedians get paid in the tens of millions of pounds, according to Forbes.

Inspired by the success of University College London’s Bright Club network of academic comedy nights, this journalism innovation will help the industry understand how comedy could change its image, at scale.

The programme will not only to gather data on how audiences receive the work, but also aim to understand the challenges faced by journalists trying to engage the public, collating these findings in order to show implications and opportunities for the industry.

Getting public support, through enabling better understanding, using a medium people love, may be crucial to securing the future of this industry.